starting a sentence with but grammarly
There is a commonly stated rule of grammar that beginning a sentence with and or any other conjunction is a mistake. Today I am here to set you free from one of the shibboleths of grammar.
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Such words emphasize the connection between one sentence and another.
. Consider the example below. An excellent grammar teacher would tell you that its perfectly okay to use a coordinating conjunction to launch a sentence which is an independent clause. You might have been taught that its not good English to start a sentence with a conjunction such as and or butIts not grammatically incorrect to do so however and many respected writers use conjunctions at the.
Its neither right nor wrong as a whole but could be either right or wrong in a given situation. But this answer comes with a warning. There is a widespread beliefone with no historical or grammatical foundationthat it is an error to begin a sentence with a conjunction such as and but or so In fact a substantial percentage often as many as 10 percent of the sentences in first-rate writing begin with.
But best of all I think is the simple advice given by the style book of a national newspaper. The short answer is yes. So are we going to debunk this pesky rule.
Indeed either word can give unimprovably early. Through the piercing screech of chalk on the blackboard you discern a command. Lulu wakes up at five in the morning.
This superstition probably comes from the fact that English teachers often tell students not to overuse and or but at the beginning of a sentence because it can get repetitive and when used. Starting a sentence with a conjunction and but etc is a stylistic choice. According to a usage note in the fourth edition of The American Heritage Dictionary But may be used to begin a sentence at all levels of style And in The Kings English Kingsley Amis says that the idea that and must not begin a sentence or even a paragraph is an empty superstition.
Most experts think the made-up rule stemmed from an oversimplification. Yes you can start any sentence with but and give justice to the sentences and its meaning as well. So if you are wondering if it is okay to start the sentence with but the answer is Yes.
Check Your Emails Documents Essays and More. I usually employ and or but as sentence starters in informal types of writing because I still believe that those non-indulgent grammar Nazis are a bit more relaxed reading informal texts than when they. Sentence starters can make this relationship clear and show which sentence is the cause and which is the effect.
Never start a sentence with and or but. Forget your school teachers rule. Ad Rephrase and restructure entire sentences with our online paraphrasing tool.
Its grammatically fine to start a sentence with and but or any other coordinating conjunction like or yet and so. And or but at start of sentence. I encourage them not to take my word for it but to look it up so I refer them to Ernest Gowers 1965 revision of Fowlers Dictionary of.
But this is just not true. What the style guides say Heres what two industry-recognized style guides have to say on the matter. As long as you can create a full and complete idea beginning a sentence with but wont result in a sentence fragment.
Its perfectly fine to begin a sentence with a conjunction such as or but and or so. It was easier to tell children never to do something. Its common to use two different sentences to discuss a cause-and-effect relationship as in something making something else happen.
As a result. And we think that is really cool. I faithfully learned.
Say goodbye to grammatical errors and hello to perfect paraphrasing. The supposed rule is never to start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. October 26 2016.
Examples of Sentences Starting with But. What the style guides say Heres what two industry-recognized style guides have to say on the matter. You will be liberated.
You may however encounter people who mistakenly believe that starting a sentence with a conjunction is an error so consider your audience when deciding to structure your sentences this way. Start your free trial now. I always see some shocked faces when I tell a classroom of college students that there is nothing wrong with beginning a sentence with the word and or for that matter the words but because or however.
Eats Shoots and Leaves Lynn Truss p. New Harts Rules Oxford University Press. Its the best way to make your writing clear and concise.
That rules out starting sentences with either and or but when writing. The same goes for but. However mature audiences whose grasps to English language is good sentence with but can be more tempting and meaningful.
Why It Is OK to Start a Sentence with But. At school we were taught you should never ever under any circumstances start a sentence with a conjunction. Never start a sentence with and or but.
Take the Guesswork Out of Great Writing. However as long as you arent writing something that is incredibly formal it is perfectly acceptable to start sentences with but or any other conjunction like it. Because of this it is perfectly proper to use but to begin a sentence.
Ad Get Corrections From Grammarly While You Write on all Your Favorite Sites. Sentences that begin with conjunctions such as and but or so yet sound less formal than those that begin with conjunctive adverbs such as however moreover moreover thus and furthermore If the sentence would function just as well without the conjunction then write it without the conjunction. This quote exchange from the film Finding Forrester covers it well I think.
There is nothing wrong with starting sentences with and but or other similar conjunctions. As long as you can create a full and complete idea beginning a sentence with but wont result in a sentence fragment. For a sentence starting with but you may have to read a little further all the way to Genesis 81.
Ad A free tool that works anywhere you do. The idea that you shouldnt begin a sentence with a conjunction is one of those rules that really isnt along with some others youve probably heard like never split an infinitive and dont end a sentence with a. She goes to school.
Why It Is OK to Start a Sentence with But. According to sources including Merriam-Webster conjunction is used to join words phrases clauses and sentences. This supposed rule has no basis in actual writing and even formal writing features plenty of sentences that start with and and other conjunctions.
That punctuation is a courtesy designed to help readers to understand a story without stumbling. There is nothing grammatically wrong with starting a sentence with a conjunction like but and or or. Good sentence starters to establish cause and effect.
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